A Mandate Still in Dispute
By Sebastian Obasi
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Ime Albert Akpan began the battle to claim the PDP senatorial ticket allegedly taken from him illegally
The seed of discord which eventually led to the ongoing battle over Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial district seat was sown early in April 2007. It was at the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where a senatorial candidate was to be elected. There were two major contenders for the ticket – Ime Albert Akpan and Effiong Bob.
At the end of the election, Akpan scored 2,080 votes against Bob, who polled 926 votes. But the winner of the exercise became the loser. Bob who allegedly lost, eventually got the ticket and is today a senator representing the zone.
The ensuing battle to correct what Akpan said was an injustice has continued to suffer delay. Akpan’s search for justice began soon after the primary election, the result of which he claimed was declared in his favour. But when the result was posted on the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, it was a different story. Bob’s name was the one posted.
Akpan was shocked. Consequently, he protested to his party. The PDP wrote a letter to INEC to that effect. In the letter dated March 20, 2007 and addressed to Maurice Iwu, INEC chairman, the party drew his attention to the publication by INEC of the name of Bob as the party’s candidate for the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial district.
Part of the letter reads: "For the avoidance of doubt, the candidate of the party for the constituency is Chief Imeh Albert Akpan. He won the primary and his name was dully forwarded in a substitution letter dated February 5, 2007, signed by the national chairman and the national secretary. His candidacy has further been authenticated by a letter dated February 12, 2007 and signed by the national chairman. The publication of any name other than that of Ime Akpan is an embarrassment to the party and cannot be sustained. It is already creating serious problems for the party in Akwa Ibom State. The purpose of this letter is to request INEC to correct what we see as an honest mistake."
Chief Ime Albert Akpan is the party’s senatorial candidate for that constituency. The letter was signed by Ahmadu Ali and Ojo Maduekwe, then national chairman and national secretary of PDP respectively.
INEC did not act on that letter. This prompted PDP to do a follow up letter. Part of the letter reads: "The attention of the national secretariat has been drawn to the publication by INEC of the name of Senator Effiong Bob as the party candidate for the above stated constituency. For the avoidance of doubt, the candidate of the party for the constituency is Chief Ime Albert Akpan. He won the party primary and his name was dully forwarded in a substitution letter dated February 5, 2007, signed by the national chairman and the national secretary. His candidacy was further authenticated by a letter dated February 12, 2007 and signed by the national chairman. The publication of any name other than that of Chief Ime Akpan is an embarrassment to the party and cannot be sustained. It is already creating serious problems for the party in Akwa Ibom State. The purpose of this letter is to request INEC to correct what we see as an honest mistake. Chief Imeh Albert Akpan is the party’s senatorial candidate for that constituency."
When the directive was not effected, Akpan sought for justice at the federal high court, Abuja. In her ruling, on April 18, 2007, Justice Binta Nyako ordered INEC to include Akpan’s name as the candidate of PDP for the Akwa Ibom North-East senatorial district election.
But as at the time the election held on April 21, 2007, his name was not still included. But, PDP, in another letter dated April 24 and addressed to the INEC chairman, announced Akpan as the senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District. Part of the letter reads: We write to confirm that Chief Ime Albert Akpan is the candidate put forward for the above stated constituency by the PDP at the last senatorial elections which the PDP won. Chief Akpan not only won the primary held by the party to choose the senatorial candidate, he was also confirmed as the candidate by court of competent jurisdiction. The party, therefore, requests that you announce Chief Ime Akpan the senator-elect." The letter was signed by both Ahmadu Ali and Ojo Maduekwe.
All these efforts did not change the situation. Even the court action by Akpan has not yet restored him, more than one year after.
Asam Asam, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and counsel to Effiong Bob told Newswatch that his client is the rightful candidate for the senatorial district election in contention. He also said that Akpan forged the letter purporting that he was made to substitute Effiong Bob.
Asam based his argument on the fact that Ahmadu Ali said he did not sign the letter. According to Asam, his client was not the person to send the list of candidates for the election to INEC. The list was signed by both Ahmadu Ali and Ojo Maduekwe. Asam also pointed out that the matter which is now with the appeal court, is yet to be decided.
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